Thomas Markle Sr. Faces Federal Charge in Child Pornography Possession Case

Thomas Markle Sr. will stand before a federal judge in Tampa later Friday afternoon to answer a single count of possession of child pornography. The 82-year-old father of Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was taken into custody by the FBI in Florida on Friday morning. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The arrest marks the formal culmination of an investigation that began in the Philippines and centered on property he maintained in Los Angeles.

Federal prosecutors in the Central District of California allege that Markle stored suspected child sexual abuse material in two rented storage units in the Los Angeles area. He leased these units for nearly two decades. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stated that law enforcement officials learned of the materials in October after an unnamed individual signed an affidavit regarding their discovery among Markle’s possessions in the Philippines. A second unnamed individual later provided information about the existence of the Los Angeles storage facilities.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest in a statement, noting that agents moved quickly to locate the explicit material. Patel said, “Mr. Markle allegedly targeted innocent children and sought to steal their innocence through his criminal actions.” The bureau worked with Justice Department partners to identify the files and execute the arrest in Florida, where Markle had recently relocated after living in the Philippines since early 2025.

Markle has been estranged from his daughter since her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry. He denied the allegations in an interview with The Daily Mail published on October 23, calling the claims “sick lies” and “the worst thing anyone could accuse me of.” He expressed shock that his son, Thomas Markle Jr., had made the accusations in the Philippines. The Philippine Department of Justice confirmed that an anti-trafficking task force in Cebu was investigating the matter at that time.

Meghan released a statement in October saying she was “deeply distressed” by the news. She noted that a letter containing “troubling and disturbing allegations” had been sent to British police in 2018, though she later indicated the timing might have been off by a few months. The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed receiving a letter in January 2019 with claims about alleged offending outside the United Kingdom. The force stated that the letter was passed to the Duke and Duchess’s office for their awareness but that the details were not shared with other law enforcement agencies at that time.

A spokesperson for Meghan declined to comment on Friday. Markle was not immediately available for comment. He previously worked as a lighting director for television shows including “General Hospital” and “Married… With Children” while living in Los Angeles during his daughter’s childhood. Harry and Meghan returned to the United Kingdom in August after six years in California.